FIR against retired RTO officer for issuing fitness certificates to 10,210 vehicles without inspection

Bengaluru: An FIR has been registered against a senior RTO official for allegedly issuing fitness certificates (FC) to more than 10,210 vehicles without conducting mandatory physical inspections. The action follows a departmental inquiry that reportedly uncovered large-scale irregularities in the issuance of Form 38A certificates through the Vahan portal.

The FIR was filed at the HSR Layout police station on February 28 following directions from Regional Transport Officer Deepak L, after senior authorities reviewed the findings of the internal probe. The action was initiated based on a complaint submitted by advocate S. Nataraj Sharma to the Transport Commissioner.

According to preliminary findings, retired Senior Motor Vehicle Inspector Nisar Ahmed allegedly issued fitness certificates between August 1, 2025 and January 31, 2026 without physically verifying the vehicles, as required under law. The Joint Transport Commissioner examined data available on the Vahan portal on February 19 and reportedly found discrepancies suggesting that inspections were not carried out before approvals were granted.

The investigation revealed that several vehicles involved were registered in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala. Vehicle owners have also been named as accused in the FIR, as officials suspect possible collusion in obtaining certificates without presenting vehicles for inspection.

Earlier, the Gujarat Transport Commissioner’s office had raised objections regarding 41 Gujarat-registered vehicles that were allegedly issued certificates improperly. Following this, Nisar Ahmed was suspended on January 20. He retired from service on January 31.

Based on the inquiry report submitted on February 27, the Transport Commissioner directed registration of a criminal case. Police have booked the retired official and vehicle owners under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for criminal breach of trust and cheating. Further investigation is underway.